An application is computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer to perform a task for a computer user. Applications include computer executable code that is “built” or derived from computer source code files. An application build may also include configuration files and support files for customizing the operation of the software.
While for simple programs the build process consists of a single file being compiled, for complex software the computer source code may consist of many files that may be configured in different ways to produce application versions customized specifically for each environment. The environment is the configuration of the hardware, operating system, and enabling programs in which an application build executes.